Melzingah Tap House to open in Beacon at former Hop location

Melzingah Tap House to open in Beacon at former Hop location

February 16, 2018

When Dana and Kevin Collins rented The Hop in Beacon, they envisioned more than an extensive craft beer selection and a varied menu featuring different cuisines.

The couple aims to make Melzingah Tap House a watering hole for Beacon residents, where anyone can stop for a drink or a meal and feel welcome.

“I want this to be Beacon’s place to be,” Kevin Collins said. “I want it to be long-lived—an institution. This is the place to go to meet with friends and grab drinks.”

Melzingah Tap House is scheduled to open in April at 554 Main St.

The name Melzingah originally came from a tribe of Native Americans from Wappinger, according to Joey Cavaccini, Wappinger and Fishkill Town Historian. When Fishkill Landing and Mattewaan were merged to form today’s City of Beacon, Melzingah was one of the suggested names.

“It was recommended during the city unification process around 1911 to name the new city Melzingah in honor of the tribe,” Cavaccini said. “But the name choice was ridiculed by New York City newspapers, and to avoid embarrassment, the name was rejected.”

The couple chose the name for its historic significance as well as its value as a conversation starter.

“When they hear the name, it’s a conversation starter,” Kevin Collins said. “Either they know it and appreciate the reference, or they’re baffled and want to know more.”

From the exposed brick and industrial iron to Pacific Northwest wood, Kevin Collins wanted to incorporate a hodgepodge of styles in the restaurant.

“In a contrarian way, all this non-thematic decor is the theme,” he said.

That same concept will extend to the pub and drink menus. While the food can broadly be described as pub fare, the tap house will feature different takes on traditional dishes.

“You might find a basic burger, but with a few local ingredients you might not recognize, or a pastrami sandwich with our own twist,” Kevin Collins said.

It will also serve vegetarian options and a brunch menu.

With 23 taps, Melzingah will highlight craft beer from the region and across the state. The cocktail menu will feature fresh, local ingredients in its drinks.

“Your drink might have local cherries or fresh mint,” Dana Collins said. “It will be very detail-oriented, but not so out there that it’s not accessible.”

The Hop, a craft beer bar and retail store, operated at the location starting in November 2014, but the business suddenly closed in 2016.

Melzingah will seat more than 60 between the bar and the tables, and it will hire about 20 people overall.

Dana and Kevin Collins also own The Barking Frog in Beacon and Publick House in Pleasant Valley.

Originally posted by Geoffrey Wilson of The Poughkeepsie Journal at http://bit.ly/2RLmZiy